Seizure localization using pre ictal phase-amplitude coupling in intracranial electroencephalography

Understanding changes in brain rhythms provides useful information to predict the onset of a seizure and to localize its onset zone in epileptic patients. Brain rhythms dynamics in general, and phase-amplitude coupling in particular, are known to be drastically altered during epileptic seizures. However, the neural processes that take place before a seizure are not well understood. We analysed the phase-amplitude coupling dynamics of stereoelectroencephalography recordings (30 seizures, 5 patients) before and after seizure onset. Electrodes near the seizure onset zone showed higher phase-amplitude coupling. Immediately before the beginning of the seizure, phase-amplitude coupling dropped to values similar to the observed in electrodes far from the seizure onset zone. Thus, our results bring accurate information to detect epileptic events during pre-ictal periods and to delimit the zone of seizure onset in patients undergoing epilepsy surgery.